Windows of my world (left to right): Shutters in Chinatown, Singapore; a building in Nice, France; a museum and shophouse in Melaka, Malaysia.
I love windows. They’re one of the things I love to photograph when I visit a new city. It’s more than just the architectural style that grabs me — it’s the story behind the shutters that intrigue me. Who’s going to peep out? What are they having for dinner? What are they talking about? How different are their lives from mine?
The theatrical poster of Rear Window
Blame it on my journalistic curiosity. I am reminded of the Hitchcock movie Rear Window, circa 1954, which I saw many, many years ago. A professional photographer (James Stewart) is confined to his Greenwich Village apartment while recuperating from a broken leg. Since his flat affords him a view of his neighbors’ windows (which are left open) and a courtyard, he watches the lives of these people unfold before him. In the course of his observations, he suspects a murder has taken place. He enlists the help of his beautiful socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to solve the case.
While I’ve never gone as far as imagining a murder taking place behind closed windows, I must admit that the wondering about what’s going on there creates fodder for new fiction.
Walastik Holistic 